Apparatus for distilling oil



y 14, 1929- A. SCHWARZ 1,713,149

' I APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING OIL Filed Nov. 6, 1925 Y 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY W I ATTORNEYS May 14, 1929. A. SCHWARZ 1,713,149

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING OIL" Filed Nov. 6, 1925 '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Win/h y INVENTOR & BY 7 4 W S/W ATTORNEYS May 14, 1929. A-. SCHWARZ APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING OIL Filed Nov. 6, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet I 5 ATTQRNEY May 14, 1929. A. scHwARz APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING 01L Filed Nov. 6, 1925 Patented May 14, 1929.

ALFRED SCHWARZ, OF UPPER MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR Application filed November Heretofore in distilling oils to dryness or to such an extent as to produce coke, the oil has been placed in a still and the still heated externally with the result that carbon was deposited on the inside of the shell, particularly on those portions of the shell where the heat was greatest. The layer of carbon insulated the shell from the oil, thus causing the steel shell to become red hot and weakening the same or causing it to be destroyed. After the carbon was deposited in the still it was diflicultto remove the same. Even when cracking processes are carried on carbon is often deposited or precipitated in expansion chambers and is difficult to remove therefrom. It is well known that when the inside of stills that are used for cracking oil under pressure are coated with layers of carbon, there is great danger of the same becoming overheated, and thereby become sufficiently weakened to cause explosions to occur.

By the present invention the carbon that is formed by distilling oil either under atmospheric or superatmospheric pressure is deposited upon heating elements that are not required to bear the strain and can be readily removed from the still and fresh heating elements inserted, so as to continue the process while carbon is being removed from a heating element. No deposition of coke or carbon upon the walls of the still takes place and the shell of the stills themselves is not subjected to the high temperatures thus making the process more safe and effective.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1s a side elevation, partly in section, showing astill and its connections; Fig. 2 is a side View, partly broken away, showing a modification; Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a second modification; Fig. 1 is a plan view of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side view, partly broken away, showing a third modification; Fig. 6 is a side view showing a fourth modification; Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a side View, partly in section, showing certain features; Fig. 9 is a side view showing a fifth modification; Fig. 10 is a perspective View showing a detail of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a side view showing a plurality of stillsfor carrying out the I process; and Fig. 12 is a plan View of Fig. 11.

In the drawings reference character 1 indicates a still of the vertical type which may DISTILLING OIL.

6, 1925. Serial No. 67,217.

be filled with oil through any convenient inlet 20 (Fig. 3) up to the level indicated at 2 (Fig. 1). The still is provided with a re movable cover 3 to which is attached a heating element comprising a casing 4 that may be heated, for instance, by means of the heat- 1ng coil 5. A pipe 7 leads from the still 1 to a condenser 8 from which a pipe leads to the receiver 9 that is provided with an outlet 10 for fixed gases.

In operation the heating element 4 is heat- 'ed by the heater 5 and cracks the oil which is in contact therewith, carbon or coke 6 forming upon the outside of the heating element while the oil is caused to circulate by the heat. As soon as the carbon 6 has col lected to a considerable extent, the cover 3 may be removed and the carbon 6 removed therefrom and the heating element re-inserted or a fresh heating element may be subititued for the one that is covered with car In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the heating element 42 in the still 22 is attached to the cover 32 and is made of U-shape. A

"gas burner 12 is provided from which the hot products of combustion pass through and-- eat the chamber for 12and then pass out through the funnel 13 to a. smoke stack. In the manner similar to that described in connect-ion with Fig. 1, the carbon or coke collects on the heating element 42 and may be subsequently removed therefrom, the vapors formed during cracking being withdrawn from the still through outlet 72.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4', a plurality of U-shaped heating elements 15 are connected to headers 16 and 17 which are mounted upon the cover 83. The header 16 is for admission of hot fluids and the header 17 is united by the sleeve 18 to a tube 18 which is surrounded by the vessel 19 into which oil is introduced and is given a primary heating before it passes into the pipe 20 and into the still 13.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, which is similar to that shown in Fig. 1, a sleeve 14 which is open at both ends, is disposed. around the heater 15 in the still 15 and is suspended from the cover 'by means of the members 23. The object of this sleeve 14 is to cause the oil to rise in the space between the heater and the sleeve, pass outward radially over the top of the sleeve and downward outside the same and inward radially under the bottom thereof, and thus aiding radiation and causing distribution of carbon or coke on the heater 45. The vapors are withdrawn through pipe 5.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the heater comprises a central member into which hot products of combustion from the gas jet 24 enter and follow downwardly and then radially outward through connectors 27 and thence upwardly through the branches 28. The heater in this instance is also shown surrounded by a sleeve 29 for circulation purposes. The removable cover is indicated at 36 to which is attached the heater and the sleeve.

In Fig. 8 a still 16 is diagrammatically shown from which the cover 36 has been lifted by the hoist 30 ready for the carbon or coke to be removed therefrom by striking the same, a pile of the coke being indicated at 31.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the still 19 is provided with heaters made as most clearly indicated in Fig. 10. In this modification the heaters comprise inner and outer cylindrical portions 33 and 34 which are connected at intervals by U-shaped metal bends 35 in such a manner as to provide channels through which hot products of combustion may be introduced through the openings 36 and pass. downwardly around the members 35 and then outwardly through the openings 38. Two suchheating elements are indicated in Fig. 9 being fed from the gas jet 39, the

Waste gases being removed through the exit 40. In the assemblyshown in Figs. 11 and 12, a series of stills are connected together so thatthe vapors from one still are passed into a, reflux condenser and the reflux therefrom is carried through another still and so on through a series, the uncondensed gases from a reflux condenser passing into a final condenser. In these figures reference characters 42 indicate a pair of stills that may be operated alternately. These stills are fed from a main supply tank 43 and the vapors therefrom pass through the pipes 44 to the reflux condenser 45, the uncondensed gases assing to the condenser 46, the reflux passing t rough pipes 47 to the stills 48 which may have additional oil fed thereto through the pipe 49. The vapors from the still 48 pass through the pipe 50 to the reflux condenser 51, the reflux therefrom passing through the pipe 52 to the stills 53 which may also be fed with oil through the pipes 54, the vapors from these stills passing through pipes 55 to the reflux condenser 56, the reflux therefrom passing back through the pipe 57 to the stills 53. The va ors from the reflux condensers 45, 51 and 56 lieing condensed by condenser 46, pass into the receiver 59 from which a fixed gas outlet 60 leads.

It will be seen that by providing a heating element inside the still which is'immersed in the oil, it is possible to cause the carbon to collect upon this heating element and be removed with the same from the still without causing the still itself to become overheated. Since the heating element itself does not have to carry the weight of the oil, it can be subjected to higher temperatures without danger and thus the requisite temperatures can be reached.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for distilling oil, a container, a removable cover for said container, a plurality of U-shaped imperforate tubes depending from said cover, an inlet header for said tubes, an outlet header for said tubes,

and means for passing hot gases into and through said inlet header, tubes, and outlet header.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 provided with a heat exchanger, means for passing gases from said outlet header through said heat exchanger, and means for passing oil through said heat exchanger and into said container.

3. In an apparatus for cracking oil, the combination of a container, a cover removably attached to said container, a hollow heating element depending from said cover into said container to a low point therein and below the normal oil level and adapted to receive and retain a substantially thick layer of carbon separated from the during cracking without injury to said heating element, said heating element being removable with said cover, means for supplying a heating medium to said hollow heating element, and means for removing vaporsand gases from said container.

4. In an apparatus for cracking oil, the combination of a container, a coverremovably attached to said container, aheafer depending vertically from said cover into said container to a low point therein and below the normal oil level, said heater being removable with said cover and ada ted to receive and retain a substantially thlck layer of carbon separated from the oil during cracking without injury to said heater, a hollow imperforate sleeve open at bgth ends depending from said cover and surrounding said heater to cause the oil to flow upwardly along'and downwardly away from said heater, and an outlet for the withdrawal of evolved vapors and gases.-

ALFRED SCHWARZ. 

